Page 103 of Wicked Heirs

“What?” I asked.

Xavier went to respond, but hesitated when he glanced at Orpheus.

“It’s fine. She can know now.”

“Really?” Xavier asked, surprised.

“Yes, really. Go ahead.”

They all looked around and I saw Xavier doing that intense staring ahead thing that he did when he was employing his vampire hearing. Nodding to himself a moment later, satisfied that it was safe to talk, he told me, “Orpheus struck up an alliance between Cornwell andObsidian.He’s on board with what we’re doing and he helps run interference during our hostednights of liberation.”

“He’s a cool guy,” Talon added.

“A little dark,” Xavier said.

“Where’s the bad in that?” Orpheus spoke and he had me jarring in the next moment as his intense gaze penetrated mine, his meaningandthe challenge there clear.

“Orpheus—” Xavier warned.

“No, let’s do this.”

“Nicely,” Talon urged him.

“Of course, baby bird. I can be nice.”

“You can?” Xavier questioned with a glint in his eye.

Orpheus rolled his eyes at him, then nudged me gently. “I know that’s really why you’ve been staying away—the main reason, anyway.”

“No, that’s not what—”

“So, little angel, I’m going to give you what you want. There will be nothing left to hide behind then.” He reached out and cupped my cheek, sending a whisper of pleasure through me as he stroked it with the pad of his thumb. “You’ll come to me then.”

It took me a moment to respond and when I did it was barely steady.

He just affected me so much, in a different way to how Xavier did.

“You’re really going to tell me why you targeted me, why you despise my mom?”

“I am. Are you ready for that?”

I swallowed hard. “Tell me.”

A dark look flickered across his face, as he said, “Tomorrow night. Meet me on the southeast turret. You’ll learn the truth then.”

“What about us?” Talon asked.

“Alena first, then I’ll fill you both in.”

Xavier’s eyes widened. “This is huge. You’ve never talked about it. Not the whole deal, just very vague mentions.”

“Yeah, Ore, you don’t usually give up information—at least not freely.”

Orpheus smirked at me. “Who says it’ll be free?”

Of course he had a plan deeper than the surface of it all.

It didn’t matter.

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